Senior Research Fellow IPPR Scotland
- Full time
- £37,130 – £46,830
- Scotland, IPPR Scotland is based in Edinburgh
- Closing 15th March 2022
- Advertised from 21st February 2022
- Salary depending on experience, plus benefits. 37.5 hours
Role
IPPR Scotland is Scotland’s progressive think tank. We were formed in 2015 to provide the evidence, ideas and solutions needed to deliver a fairer Scotland, with a focus on the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government. Over our time we have delivered significant impact, successfully influencing decision-making in Scotland across a range of topics, including tax and spend, education and skills, the economy, fair work, and child poverty and inequalities.
We are now seeking a Senior Research Fellow to further develop IPPR Scotland’s capacity and our influence, taking on a significant role in manging a range of exciting research projects pushing for progressive reform across all areas of public policy. You will help shape IPPR Scotland’s research and impact strategy – developing and securing funding for new and innovative research proposals, managing delivery of projects, communicating our work to the public and decision makers, and generating impact from our evidence, ideas and solutions.
If you have proven ability to manage multiple projects, other people, and your own workload, to deliver high quality outputs and influence public policy, this is the ideal job for you. You will need a high degree of attention to detail, creativity and imagination, strong research skills – with experience of mixed research methods – and a well-developed political judgement in the context of devolved policymaking in Scotland.
Through these incredibly important times IPPR Scotland aims to centre political debate in Scotland on the significant public policy opportunities and challenges we face. This role will take a significant responsibility for doing so, ensuring IPPR Scotland can maximise our ability to deliver positive change.
IPPR is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, and from applicants with a range of professional and lived experiences. As an organisation engaging in critical debate about a wide range of progressive policy issues, we value the creativity and range of perspectives that a diverse team can provide
As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant to fill the post, including job-share or part-time working, as well as part remote working.
Application notes
Before applying, please go to our website ippr.org/job/senior-research-fellow-ippr-scotland to read the information pack and job description or email recruitment@ippr.org quoting the job title or REF: SRFSCOT/FEB
Please provide a CV with a 2-page personal statement. The statement should address, under separate headings, each of the attributes in the person specification. Please combine both documents into a PDF and
Return your application to applications@ippr.org
In order to complete your application please also complete IPPR Diversity Monitoring Form
To find out more about the role and IPPR Scotland please contact p.whyte@ippr.org to arrange a time for a conversation.
Closing date for receipt of completed applications is 9am Tuesday 15 March 2022. Interviews will be held w/c 21 March 2022
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Do you have a good understanding of social and/or economic policy issues and a proven ability to undertake policy development or campaigning work on specific issues in a wider context? Then join Shelter Scotland as a Senior Advocacy Officer and you could soon be playing a vital role in helping us to deliver positive change for those affected by the housing emergency in Scotland.
About the role
Your main focus will be to lead Shelter Scotland in effectively advocating for the structural policy changes required to end the housing emergency, driving forward our strategic goals to secure more social homes, strengthen housing rights, and build a lasting movement for change. You’ll develop and communicate clear, evidence-based policy recommendations – drawing on research, lived experience, and sector insight – to influence key stakeholders across government, parliament, and beyond. You’ll commission and manage external research, lead stakeholder events, and work collaboratively across teams to ensure our policy work supports public affairs, media, and operational activity. You’ll also line manage an Advocacy Officer, supporting their development and overseeing their performance.
Role specifics
You’ll bring strong experience in crafting high-impact communications that influence decision-makers and persuade key stakeholders. With a solid understanding of Scotland’s political landscape and public policy processes – particularly within the Scottish Government and Parliament – you’ll have a proven track record of driving change through effective advocacy and relationship-building at a senior level. You’ll be proactive in spotting opportunities to influence policy, responding strategically to external developments. Alongside this, you’ll have experience managing externally funded projects, including budgeting and reporting, and will be confident leading and motivating a team to achieve shared goals.
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.
We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.
About the team
The Advocacy Team is part of Shelter Scotland’s Communications and Advocacy Department and is responsible for developing the charity’s policy positions, research plan, and public affairs and professional stakeholder engagement.
The Advocacy team works closely with colleagues in Community Advice and our Telephone and Online Advice services to capture evidence of how Scotland’s broken and biased housing system is impacting communities, and colleagues in Communications and Engagement to translate this evidence into compelling public campaigns and fundraising appeals. The team have led the organisation on developing an anti-racism evidence base, the economic and social benefits of social housing investment and the case for a human rights-based approach to meeting housing need.
Net Zero Lead
- Part time
- £38,000 pro-rata
- Remote: Home working with irregular meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Closing 31st January 2026
Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) seeks to appoint a Net Zero Lead.
This new role within BEFS Team involves leading on BEFS co-ordinated and strategic approach to delivering Net Zero through its own work, and – crucially – connecting existing sector work and research; building Member and sector capacity and coordinating a robust, collaborative and data driven approach, ensuring that the historic environment is recognised as a valuable asset and key player in Scotland’s journey to Net Zero, and in tackling the Climate Emergency.
We envisage that this role will evolve and respond to a changing political climate as needed, engaging with the legislative process and working towards ensuring that the sector is equipped to respond to the Climate Emergency in the long term.
Key responsibilities include:
- Work with BEFS Team to map and coordinate all existing Net Zero work, across all business BEFS areas
- Undertake sector (and beyond) mapping of Net Zero activity
- Advocate for Net Zero solutions presented by the existing and historic built environment, through sector coordination, cross sector, and portfolio working
- Align with and support OPOF delivery priorities, working closely with BEFS Director and Team on developing a Route Map to Net Zero
- Connect and amplify existing research and data, identifying skills, research and data gaps
- Drive and coordinate the use of existing data and research as well as commissioning new where required; working collaboratively to present a coherent evidence base
- Undertake and enable research and strategy including looking at international good practice
- Stakeholder working and relationship building; enable innovative and collaborative approaches
- Undertake regular horizon-scanning through contact with Government and key stakeholders; support BEFS work to convey the current context, challenges and opportunities across sector back to Scottish Government
- Project development and fundraising: identify, develop and shape projects (from initial idea to project brief) which will inform/evidence advocacy and delivery activity
- Participate actively as part of a small and busy team, supporting and working with colleagues across all of BEFS work
Person specification
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate breadth of sector knowledge and the wider policy landscape relating to Net Zero and the historic and existing built environment
- Demonstrable technical knowledge relating to the Climate Emergency and Net Zero in relation to the historic and existing built environment
- Strong analytical skills, with an ability to distil information and stakeholder opinions, across a broad range of topics/disciplines in the built environment sphere
- Knowledge and experience of the historic and wider built environment sector, including key stakeholders and lead organisations
- Experience of working in a public facing role and the ability to connect with stakeholders and build consensus, seeking opportunities for collaboration and joined up working
- Experience of project management and delivery
- The ability to think and work strategically
- Highly self-motivated, able to work flexibly, balancing priorities as necessary
- High attention to detail, with strong written and verbal communication skills, including facilitation experience
- Advanced use of IT packages including Office 365 and Adobe etc.
Desirable
- Degree or post-graduate qualification (or equivalent experience) in built environment-related discipline (e.g. planning, conservation, surveying, archaeology, architecture) or public affairs.
- Experience of stakeholder engagement/facilitation skills.
- Confidence with online/remote working technologies and programmes such as Teams, Zoom. Knowledge/familiarity of other programmes such as Miro, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, WordPress and MailChimp are also an advantage.
BEFS expects all applicants to support the values, ethos and objectives of BEFS, demonstrating credibility and integrity, and proactively committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.
What we offer:
- Salary: £38,000 FTE
- 30hrs per week (4 days); permanent role, subject to organisational funding
- Home working with irregular meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Benefits package including pension, flexible leave, and more.
Senior Transport Campaigner
- Full time
- £35,000
- Hybrid: with weekly attendance at one of our offices (Edinburgh and Aberdeen). You will also be expected to undertake regular travel within Scotland.
- Closing 12th January 2026
This role is key in building power in our movement to win a better transport system in Scotland – one that cuts climate emissions, connects communities and is run in the interests of passengers, not profit.
Transport is Scotland’s largest polluting sector, so tackling the transport system is vital for cutting fossil fuel use and climate emissions.
The focus of this role is our campaign for better buses. Our vision is of an accessible, extensive, publicly-owned bus network that’s free for everyone. A comprehensive, reliable bus network is essential for tackling climate change and reducing inequality – connecting communities and getting people out of private cars. However, the current network is run by private operators, often expensive and unreliable with routes cut and standards declining.
Friends of the Earth Scotland is committed to building a powerful movement for system change, and we believe that communities must take the lead in the transition away from our car-dominated system, so that what replaces it works for all of Scotland.
The successful candidate will have experience and skills in local organising or supporting volunteers. We are looking for someone who can bring new people into the movement, and support and motivate volunteers and local organisers in their communities.
We're looking for someone with excellent listening skills, who can build relationships with people and organisations and support them to campaign for change in their communities.
If you think you are a fit for this role, you can find more information about it in our recruitment pack.
Top job! National Policy Lead – Children and Young People
- Full time or Part time
- £34,877 – £40,023
- Hybrid: Edinburgh
- Closing 8th January 2026
The role
Scottish Women’s Aid has an opportunity to join their Policy team. This is an exciting position where the role holder will be responsible for working on policy relating to children and young people and domestic abuse, violence against women and girls, and gender related topics. They will work closely with the Membership, Training and Communications teams.
Background
Scottish Women’s Aid is Scotland’s leading voluntary sector organisation working to end domestic abuse and promoting effective policy and practice responses for women, children and young people who experience domestic abuse. We are the umbrella organisation for 32 autonomous Women’s Aid groups delivering direct services to women, children and young people across Scotland.
What you’ll do
Working across third sector organisations you will build and maintain relationships to input to policy and influencing, as SWA as well as jointly with others. You will maintain good working relationships with civil servants, challenging ideas and find solutions where necessary.
The role includes inputting to and submitting consultation responses, researching and writing briefings, preparing for SWA to providence evidence in parliament, keep our communications team up to date with policy inputs and changes, and input to good practice stemming from policy changes. All of these roles, requiring great working relationships across the organisation, but especially with Membership, Training and Communications.
What We Need
We’re looking for someone with experience in a similar role, with specific knowledge of the Scottish policy landscape and the potential that offers. We’re looking for someone who can work across domestic abuse as it relates to children and young people – examples include the Children’s Hearing system, child contact, the welfare system. We ask that you’re a self-starter, ready to apply these skills creatively to meet our strategic priorities. Excellent written and verbal communications skills go without saying: you’ll be skilled in the ability to engage confidently with a range of different audiences, and be adept at writing to suit them, working alongside colleagues across SWA and our members across the country.
We’re looking for someone who has:
- Knowledge of the Scottish policy landscape
- Awareness and understanding of the feminist analysis of domestic abuse and the impact on women, children and young people
- Demonstrable track record of developing and writing successfully in a policy context
- Highly organised approach to effective planning, delivery and the development of applicable tasks
- Drive to make a difference in a fast moving time of policy
Location
Blend of home working and office, based in Rose Street, Edinburgh or can be entirely home based anywhere in the UK. Please talk to us about your flexible working requirements!
What we offer
There are many reasons to work for Scottish Women’s Aid. We have a great working culture and our mission and vision attracts a brilliant staff team. Your hard work is rewarded with a package of support and benefits including:
- Flexible working - We offer flexible hybrid working options for the majority of our employees. Some posts are eligible for full-time homeworking. We also offer flexibility for staff and work/life balance through a number of flexible working options such as flexi time, condensed hours, job sharing.
- Pay - SWA are a Living wage employer, our pay and grading system offers a competitive starting salary and yearly progression.
- Annual Leave - We offer a full-time annual leave entitlement of 30 days (210 hours) per year plus 10 Public Holiday days (70 hours) per year. Leave is accrued at the rate of 3.33 days (23.3 hours) per month.
- Pension - SWA believes it's important that we help you save for your retirement so access to Nest pension scheme is given to all eligible employees. SWA contributes 10% of gross contractual earnings on the provision that the employee contributes a minimum of 3% towards their pension contributions.
- Learning and Development - SWA supports and develops staff to ensure they have the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities. There is an internal schedule of training on key skills and knowledge relevant to all staff. There is also scope to attend ad hoc training for employees who are working to develop specific skills.
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay - SWA offers staff who meet the criteria for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) an enhanced maternity pay of 20 weeks on full pay and 20 weeks on half pay.
- Wellbeing - As part of SWA’s commitment to staff wellbeing, staff are offered access to a confidential 24/7 health and Wellbeing service with AIG which provides confidential advice, counselling and legal support to all staff, and where applicable, immediate family members.
- Bike 2 Work - An interest-free loan to purchase a bike, can be arranged up to the value of £1,000.
- Edinburgh Leisure Gym Subsidies - Edinburgh based staff are able to access Edinburgh Leisure facilities for the reduced price of £1 per session.
POSITIVE ACTION
Applications will be accepted from women only under Schedule 9, part 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
Scottish Women’s Aid is an equal opportunities employer, all women, including women with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, may apply for women-only roles.
SWA are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the people we serve.
We are taking positive action to address an under-representation of minoritised and marginalised women within our workforce. We offer Disabled and racially minoritised women the option of requesting that their application is considered under the terms of our Guaranteed Interview Schemes. You will be asked if you wish to be considered when you complete our application form.
If you would like to discuss the job or any adjustments, whether due to disability or any other reason, please contact us on recruitment@womensaid.scot or on the phone on 0131 226 6606.
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